Star Wars_ The New Rebellion - Kristine Kathryn Rusch [111]
The death’s head tilted, and part of its forehead disappeared out of the holo frame. She had surprised this Kueller. “You would refuse?”
“I haven’t made any decisions yet,” she said, keeping her voice calm. “I simply want to know my options.”
“Then I will destroy your subjects, President.”
“Why would you want to do that?” Leia asked. “Even if you succeeded, you’d have no one left to rule.”
“There are always more worlds. With the wealth I would have from the New Republic, I can find those worlds.”
“You can’t kill everyone in the Republic,” Wedge said. “The Emperor tried to intimidate everyone into his power, and it took years.”
The death’s head’s smile grew. “I can kill all of them at once.”
“That’s hundreds of worlds,” Admiral Ackbar said. “You can’t kill that many beings at the same time.”
“Ah, but I can.” The death’s head turned and looked at something in its view, but its head suddenly faced Admiral Ackbar. The mouth gave an order in a language Leia was unfamiliar with.
She looked to Wedge in confusion. He shrugged, and as he did so, a wave of terror hit her. It was mixed with cold and voices screaming. She felt a betrayal and shock so deep that it devastated her. Not again, she thought. The weight of it made her stagger. Stop! she thought, or maybe she screamed. She didn’t know. The cold grew deeper.
And then the voices were silent.
She was sitting on the floor, tears she hadn’t known she had shed on her cheeks. The others in the room were staring at her in astonishment. Wedge helped her up. “What happened?”
The face had a triumphant look. The blackness behind the eyes seemed deeper. It felt more powerful than before.
Force-sensitive. Kueller could use the Force.
And he used it for the dark side.
As that realization filled her, the death mask smiled. “I am stronger than you will ever be, President. I am more powerful than you can dream.”
“What did you do to her?” Wedge shouted.
“I’m all right.” Leia worked to keep her voice calm. She let go of his arm.
“I did nothing to President Organa Solo. I merely gave you a demonstration of my powers. Overpopulation is such a problem, don’t you think? I just rid the galaxy of at least a million lives. More room for the rest of us.”
“A million lives?” Ackbar murmured.
“That is my second demonstration. You remember that feeling from the first time, don’t you, President?”
“How can you?” Leia asked. “Those were people. Living, breathing people.”
“Well, actually, most of them didn’t breathe,” Kueller said, “at least not in the way you do. But they no longer have to worry about breathing, through lungs or gills or airholes. See how good I am for the galaxy?”
“No,” Leia said.
“I will not argue methods with you, President. You have heard my demands. Either you acquiesce, or in three days’ time, I will kill your brother.”
“You can’t kill Luke Skywalker,” Wedge said.
“Why not? Because he is a Jedi Master? Or because he is your friend?”
Wedge didn’t answer.
The death mask turned its empty eyes to Leia. “You have three days, President. I give you time because I respect you.” The head nodded. “Until then, President.”
And the image was gone.
Leia let herself sink to the floor. A million lives. A million more lives as a demonstration to her.
Like Grand Moff Tarkin’s demonstration of the Death Star.
Tarkin had taken her father. Kueller threatened her new family.
She wouldn’t let him win. Han and Luke and her children would come home to her. And the New Republic would remain hers. She just didn’t know how yet.
Twenty-nine
Luke had just finished a small meal from the canned rations still in the house. He was resting, regaining his strength as best he could. The feeling of being watched was gone, for the moment, but he knew it would return.
And it had something to do with Almania.
After he let the food settle, he would question the house’s computer again. He was hoping